Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

How to Make the Best Coffee at Home By James Hoffmann: Book Review 

James Hoffmann’s new book, How to Make the Best Coffee at Home, is finally out, and is the perfect guide for both professionals and amateurs. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos by Tanya Nanetti James Hoffmann is one of the most recognizable people in the world of specialty coffee. His YouTube channel is both informative […]


Brewing at Home and on the Road With Diego Campos

We talk to the first Colombian World Barista Champion and Diamante Coffee Farm founder Diego Campos about his brewing habits. BY TANYA NANETTISENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT Photos courtesy of Diego Campos The focal point of a coffee worker’s professional life is, obviously, coffee. Whether for a customer, to check a specific production batch, or to verify the […]


Toronto’s Pilot Coffee Roasters Acquiring Bridgehead Coffee for $3.6 Million

Toronto, Ontario-based specialty coffee roaster and retailer Pilot Coffee Roasters is acquiring Ottawa-based Bridgehead Coffee in a deal worth approximately US$3.6 million.  Bridgehead, which has 21 coffee shop locations throughout…


Serving Coffee in the Epicenter

The Turkish specialty-coffee community is coming together to support earthquake relief. BY MICHAEL BUTTERWORTHSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE When Niji Coffee went live on Instagram, it felt as though the entire Turkish specialty-coffee community was watching with bated breath. Niji Coffee made a name for itself in the Turkish specialty-coffee scene when, as a relatively […]

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Breaking New Ground: A Sicilian Coffee Plantation, Part 2

The Morettino family has successfully cultivated a coffee plantation right in Sicily. Next on the agenda: making the island an international coffee hub. BY JOSEPH PHELANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Feature photo by Tomas Anton Escobar via Unsplash Editor’s note: Check out part one of this story here. Andrea Morettino’s family has proven that coffee […]


Cup of Excellence to Offer El Salvador Immersion Program

The immersion experience will allow participants to grow their knowledge on Salvadoran culture and coffee varieties. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of Cup of Excellence Cup of Excellence is launching a new learning opportunity in 2024: the Origin Immersion Program, to be held in El Salvador from February 26 to March 5. […]


The Barista League Releases New Competition Calendar

Presenter of sustainable, accessible events, The Barista League plans to hold 12 competitions in 10 countries in the months ahead. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of The Barista League The Barista League has officially announced its event roster for the next year. Last year saw 10 Barista League events worldwide, and the […]


Get Ready for The Barista League’s 2024 Season

The Barista League has announced 12 competitions across four continents. BY J. MARIE CARLANBARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE Photos courtesy of The Barista League When The Barista League announces new events, it’s worth paying attention! This year, the schedule will be organized by geographic location, bringing together coffee people in various communities. At The Barista League in […]

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Study Shines New Light on the Complex Arabica Coffee Genome

Researchers in Italy say they’ve shed new light on arabica coffee’s large and complex genome, which may ultimately help breeders seeking desirable traits such as high quality and disease resistance….


Joven and Atucún Join Forces to Empower Young Farmers

The two brands have collaborated to create a unique coffee bar and support young farmers in the coffee and cacao industries. BY VASILEIA FANARIOTISENIOR ONLINE…


Girlsplaining Workshop Unites Women in Coffee in Quito, Ecuador

Meet Camila Khalifé, the brains behind Girlsplaining, a unique coffee learning experience with an emphasis on creating space for women in the industry. BY JORDAN BUCHANANSPECIAL TO BARISTA MAGAZINE Photos courtesy of Camila Khalifé Men may hold most of the positions of authority and teaching roles within the specialty-coffee industry, but Camila Khalifé, the owner […]


Ukraine’s Soloway Coffee Opens First US Shop in Chicago

A specialty coffee roasting company based in western Ukraine called Soloway Coffee (Instagram link) this week opened its first location in the United States. Beans roasted in Ternopil, Ukraine, using…

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

We check in with the Cup of Excellence executive director to learn his current coffee-brewing habits.

BY TANYA NANETTI
SENIOR ONLINE CORRESPONDENT

Featured photo by Emre via Unsplash

Brewing coffee is, for many coffee professionals, more than just a job.  

They usually brew coffee every day, both for themselves and their customers. Perhaps they do it with the purpose of trying out a new “hot” roastery in town. Perhaps it’s to check the roast profile on a fresh batch, or to share a new video on social media.

But they don’t just brew coffee when they work. On the contrary, many coffee professionals do it even when they are at home relaxing, or when they are traveling. 

The coffee bar inside Rockaway Roastery. There are swivel bar chairs, a naturally shaped wood countertop and La Marzocco machine. A bowl of oranges sits on the counter.
Inside Rockaway Roastery. Photo courtesy of Darrin Daniel.

Darrin Daniel at Home in Portland

Darrin Daniel, executive director of both the Alliance for Coffee Excellence and Cup of Excellence, splits his days between Portland and Rockaway Beach, Oregon. He also spends a lot of time on the road. 

When he’s at home, he usually brews using a Kalita Wave flat bottom or a Chemex.  

“This is almost always the case,” Darrin shares. “I recently opened a café (Rockaway Roastery) along with my wife on the Oregon Coast, so lately I’ve been going out to our coffee shop in Rockaway Beach and making a small 6 oz. cappuccino or macchiato, using a PB two-group La Marzocco.” 

A Kalita Wave pourover device. It sits on top of a Stumptown Coffee diner mug on a kitchen counter in front of a toaster.
The Kalita Wave. Photo courtesy of Darrin Daniel.

But he also loves visiting other specialty-coffee shops. When he’s in Portland, he says, “I do head to coffee shops, and I usually order the same drinks I mentioned.”

On the Road

Darrin definitely loves brewing his coffee and, whether he’s visiting friends or family, or headed somewhere on a trip, he always travels with his coffee gear. 

Having to choose the coffee tools he can’t travel without, Darrin has clear ideas. “Obviously the Kalita brewer and the Comandante grinder … which is usually enough to take care of me perfectly. Sometimes, if I want to have some fun, I add the AeroPress, too.” 

Darrin Daniel reliably brings along his coffee gear when on the road. Photo courtesy of Darrin Daniel.

But traveling isn’t just about brewing coffee in a hotel room, or at some coffee event: Traveling is also about exploring the local coffee scene. 

Coffee people usually check out the situation of the specialty-coffee they will find at their destination before the trip. This may involve consulting specialized websites, asking other coffee professionals for suggestions, or even creating a map of places to visit on an upcoming trip. 

For Darrin, on the contrary, this usually is not necessary. “Unless I am going somewhere where there’s a member of our organization I want to check out and support,” he says, he doesn’t often check out cafés while traveling.  

A photo of a white camp coffee mug on the rocky coast of Oregon. The waterfront is in the background, with tall evergreen trees in the distance.
The Oregon Coast. Photo by David J. Boozer via Unsplash.

Go Commercial?

But what about Darrin’s relationship with “commercial” coffee? If there are no specialty-coffee shops around, is it OK for him to just have a “regular” cup of coffee? 

“I’d rather do without it, to be honest. I have found many coffees on the commercial side to have secondary or primary defects, so they are really undrinkable. Plus, as I said, I never travel without my coffee gear!”

As a final suggestion on the best way to brew coffee on the go, Darrin leaves us with a simple tip—perfect for every coffee lover out there, no matter the level, or the brewer of choice. “Practice makes perfect!”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tanya Nanetti (she/her) is a specialty-coffee barista, a traveler, and a dreamer. When she’s not behind the coffee machine (or visiting some hidden corner of the world), she’s busy writing for Coffee Insurrection, a website about specialty coffee that she’s creating along with her boyfriend.

The post Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Brewing at Home and On the Road with Darrin Daniel

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